The township has formed a committee to research alternate options for police services as discussion continues on whether it will pull out from the regional department.

Supervisors have questioned whether officers are truly spending the hours billed to Coolbaugh within the township and whether the commission is providing proper oversight.

In a heated debate at a township meeting Tuesday night, several residents questioned the continued talk of pulling out, arguing that it affects officers' morale, while others supported Coolbaugh's questioning of the commission's operations.

Meeting requested, rejected

Coolbaugh sent a letter earlier this month to the other municipalities in the department: Tunkhannock Township, Tobyhanna Township and Mount Pocono Borough. The supervisors requested a closed-door meeting with a handful of elected officials from each municipality who are not currently on the commission in order to discuss changes to the contract that operates the department.

Representatives from the other municipalities rejected the idea of a private meeting last week, however, saying they want to meet in public with all supervisors.

Timber Trails Community Association President George Bernardin, who has emerged as a vocal critic of Coolbaugh's stance at meetings, questioned why the township did not agree to sitting down with the police commission itself, as well as why the debate over police services has shifted focus and continued for years in light of the department's high-level performance.

Bernardin has requested a referendum on the subject that would show how residents feel about their police force. He also helped lead a charge to sponsor a full-page Pocono Record ad earlier this summer with other community associations congratulating the department on its recent re-accreditation.

“Why haven't you had that meeting?” he asked of the commission's request.

Supervisor Bill Weimer, a police commission representative, said the township wants to meet directly with the municipalities that operate the department and the commission is “broken.” Some of the topics also fall under executive session topics, such as personnel issues.

Supervisor Robert Zito said a series of public meetings two years ago “turned into a three-month, four-month circus” that solved none of the problems. He said a smaller, closed-door meeting on the contract would allow for real discussion and compromise.

The public is not aware of some of the issues, he added, with barriers on what is public information and can be discussed at meetings.

“That's what you elect us for,” he said, rejecting the idea of a referendum. “If we make the wrong decision, then you throw us the hell out.”

'It's nonsense'

Zito also described his frustration that the township and current police commission members who were not on the board last year have been denied access to the Lewis investigative report. It is not about Lewis, but about whether the department acted appropriately, the supervisors said. He said Coolbaugh funded about half of the $50,000 report and should be able to see it.

“It's nonsense. It's a cover-up,” Zito said.

“We will do our due diligence on the legality of the Morris report,” Chairwoman Lynn Kelly added as residents questioned the township's legal options for viewing the Lewis investigative report. Attorney Neil A. Morris investigated the theft of Lewis' gun last year.

At the time, Tunkhannock Township police representative Fran DePiano said the investigation was internal, Kelly said. That was not true, however, given that the commission brought in an outside lawyer, Kelly said.

Lewis maintained he was not disciplined after the investigation, while Coolbaugh Supervisor Juan Adams said he was disciplined without specifying how.

Kelly also described an incident while she was a police commission representative of trying to access billing documents. It took about three months to get an appointment to view them, and then the secretary was in the room with her throughout the several hours.

“She told me that the chief said she had to stay with me,” Kelly said of the April incident.

“A police commission member was not allowed to look at information freely,” Zito said.

Officers lauded

Zito also said the community he manages, Pocono Farms East, would have been happy to sign onto the newspaper ad supporting the department. As a supervisor, he added he does not question the performance of the rank-and-file officers.

If Coolbaugh decides to withdraw, he said he would favor giving officers first access to jobs at a potential Coolbaugh department and allowing them to keep their years of service records in the pay scale.

“They know that they have friends here,” he said, looking to address an officer watching over the room in the back. “This has never been about you and it will not be about you.”